Emergency dispatchers are getting some recognition this week. Governor Mike Pence has officially declared this week Public Safety Telecommunications Week.
The designation seeks to remind residents of the critical role dispatchers play in providing emergency services. They answer the initial calls to 911 and collect information to pass along to law enforcement officers. On many occasions, dispatchers are also able to give immediate lifesaving instructions to callers during medical emergencies and reassure victims of violent crimes that help is coming.
In a press release, the Indiana State Police call telecommunications operators “one of the most important and under-recognized components of public safety.” Public Safety Telecommunications Week has been observed nationally since 1991 and in Indiana since 1999.
